Bloom

Would you believe that last year, this rose bush did not bloom one single flower?  Not one.single.rose.  It looked DEAD as a doornail.  Oh, it still had thorns of course, but never did we see anything remotely red, pink or burgundy from it. Now look.

This rosebush is going to TOWN.  It’s out of control with multiple, beautiful blooms. I may even have to trim it back a bit, but I’m just not ready for that.  Right now, I’m just enjoying the glorious intricacy of each flower, its colorful effect on my flowerbed, and the view from the street.

It’s a reminder to me that everything has a season. Some seasons don’t produce any flowers.  Oh, the thorns are still there – but not a single glimpse of red, pink or burgundy blooms.  Then there are times where the roses are overwhelmingly abundant.

Have you ever know or heard of missionaries that were serving in a remote land and after 5 or even 10 years had not seen one person come to the Lord?  I can’t imagine how frustrating and discouraging that would be – a constant rosebush with just thorns.  But, what they didn’t see was the rosebush growing healthy roots underneath and down the road – the one, two or few converts they were blessed with multiplied to create a great movement for God.  We don’t see what God is doing when we just have the almost dead rosebush – still with its thorns.  But, He is working.   In the meantime, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.1 Corinthians 15:58 

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that everything has its season.  Everything has its time and place.  And God has made everything beautiful for its own time (vs. 11). Hang tight through the thorn-bush – for God is working out a flourishing rose bush behind the scenes.

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
² A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
³ A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
⁴ A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
⁵ A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
⁶ A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
⁷ A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
⁸ A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

I hate this!!

So I told you it would be challenging to get the workouts in while traveling… We left the hotel at 7am and were back at 11 (on an early night).  This sista’ needed some sleep.  But, on Sunday morning, we didn’t need to leave for the airport until 10ish, so I knew I didn’t have an excuse and could get a workout in before our travel day.  My friend Lola went down to the hotel’s fitness center with me and walked on the treadmill next to me.  I was secretly thankful that she’s a nurse!!  If I keeled over, she’d be able to take care of me.  During the 2nd 3 minute run, my cheeks were SCARLET and my breathing was surely LOUD.  (I couldn’t hear it because I really turn my music up on the longer run sets).  She looks at me, “Are you ok?”  My reply, “Oh yeah. I just HATE this!!”  :)  I’m still not loving running, but I am thankful for the challenge, for the encouragement of those running with me, AND for the fact that we finished WEEK THREE tonight!  WOOT WOOT!  On to week FOUR.  It has 2-3 FIVE minute runs.  I’m ready to quit already, but quit we won’t.  One day I’m going to be pleasantly surprised that I don’t hate it anymore – but I’m not there yet!!

ONE TON!!

Hey Friends!!  LifePoint is collecting ONE TON (or more) of food this month.  If you live in the area and would like to donate, please message me and we’ll arrange a drop-off/pick-up!  There are some exciting things down the pike related to this, but can’t let the cat out of the bag just yet!!  Let’s be Matthew 25 and Isaiah 58 kind of Christians!!

Sore

Well, I chose to be sore…  Week two is complete.  On to week three.  This is the week I can never get past… and I’ll be traveling this week so it will be even more challenging to get my workouts in. But, I’m determined.  Pray for me .

Outta The Game

She’s a strong player. Bats about 650. Quick; she can be counted on to steal bases. Faithful; works out throughout the season… and the off-season. Strong; no, not just strong… she’s beast!

It’s an intense match-up versus the rival team. The first few innings were sunny, but now they’re playing in the rain. And wind. She’s getting heckled from the opposing team, and sadly, even from some of her own teammates. She’s discouraged. Her swing is affected. Her attitude is crap. The rival team sees this and has high hopes that this will take her outta the game. It almost works, but, she presses on. She works through the difficulty. She keeps her head up. She stays focused on the goal… winning the game. Finishing well. Giving her all. Doing her best. It wasn’t pretty, but the team toughed out the win. Ahhhhh, it was worth it. Now, to do it again next week.

Doesn’t it feel like that sometimes in ministry? Things are going well. The church is growing, faith is getting stronger. People are becoming more dedicated, sacrificing for the Kingdom. Then, comes the enemy. He starts heckling. He even gets people on your team to heckle. Storms of life come and you begin to wonder if you can continue. It’s too hard. You get discouraged. Your attitude is affected… and you’re the leader. It may even seem hopeless. Then He whispers,

Brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:13 HCSB)

I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13 HCSB)

Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 HCSB)

Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith… (Hebrews 12:1, 2 HCSB)

And suddenly you have strength. You can’t explain it. Strength enough to tough it out. Encouragement to keep your head up. Focus for the goal. Motivation to finish well.

Ministry friends, stay strong in the Lord. Be encouraged this day. Don’t give Satan the satisfaction of taking you outta the game. Walk in the victory that God is perfecting in you daily.

Burn

Well, week one is complete.  I’m thankful that I have running companions in my friend, Kim, and my girlies, Julia & Emma.  The hubs, Kevin, even joined us for Day 3.  I am the slowest of the group and typically lagging behind… but that’s just keeping true to my Cross Country days.  Someone has to come in last .

Thankfully I had no pain/discomfort after any of our runs, but I will tell you DURING… my calves were BURNing!  During the cool down I couldn’t wait to stretch them. OUCH!  Day 3 wasn’t as bad.  Am I getting stronger?

I created a playlist to listen to while running.  I can’t believe what a difference it makes to run to music, especially praise music.  I have several songs from the Passion White Flag album, Matt Redman, and even Lecrae, “Go hard or go HOME!”.  At one point, the music is blaring:

Oh, I’m running to Your arms

I’m running to Your arms…

During that I just look up at the sky and run to Jesus.  It almost feels like I may just end up running right to Him… the light, it’s getting brighter.  I think I’m DYING!  Well, maybe this race is preparing me for the day I do run into His arms.

But, I’m not dead yet so we’ll tackle week 2 this week.

74 days til the Color Run!

What’s on your running/exercise playlist?

But, I Like The Couch!!!

Whose idea was this anyway??? I made a declaration early this year that sometime in 2012 I will run a 5K.  Yeah… about that.  Now, coming off of major surgery in December, I’m officially in the worst shape in all of my 39 years of existence.  Sure, I’ve been walking and even dabbling in a Jillian video or so, but this is definitely starting from scratch, friends.

Some friends recently told me about The Color Run. When I saw how FUN this looked, I thought – this is the 5K for me!  I am signed up for July 21st in Columbus.  No turning back.  I’m running with my friend, Kim and possibly a few more Grubbies… Plus, we have other friends running so it’s sure to be a blast!!

We have to train. I have started the Couch To 5K training program a couple of times in the past, but never got past week 3. This time I have no choice. I’m signed up, remember?  BUT, I LIKE THE COUCH!!

I downloaded the cool app on my iPhone and the friendly voice tells us when to start running and after what seems like an eternity, he says, “Ok – slow down to a walk now”. Thank You, Jesus!  Oh, “Time to run!” Snap!

Yesterday we did Day One of Week One.  I decided that I’m going to blog this lil’ running journey.  #1 for accountability – I need someone to breathe down my neck if I never blog about week 4 since I’ve never gotten past week 3 in the past  #2 my mind is already swirling with other life/spiritual applications stemmed from training, endurance, setting a goal etc.

Anyone want join us???

Pulled some weeds today…

… and not just in my garden.

Ahhhhh, to get down and get dirty in my flowerbeds. This year they seemed even more overgrown with early spring weeds than any other year we’ve lived here.  I knew I had my work cut out for me so I did the front bed last week and tackled the backyard bed today.

Some of those stinkin’ things were so stinkin’ DEEP.  I had to pull with all the muscles I had in my legs and back (and I’m still feeling it…).  Other weeds were widespread, easy to pull but ALL.OVER.THE.PLACE.  Some weeds are sneaky – they actually look endearing, as if they were begging to be left since they “look” like they belong there, like a shrub or flowers.  I filled a whole black garbage bag with weeds from the front flowerbed, and another for those in the back.  And to think… I haven’t even touched the vegetable garden yet.  Well, those will be matched with the mega-tiller soon.  There’s no way I could tackle those on my own.

For me, garden time is my quiet place (one of them).  Usually it’s just me, God and the greenery.  I can chat quietly with my Father and He whispers to me with His sweet words.  Today we talked about sin.

Weeds are a lot like sin.  Sometimes they’re so DEEP that you have to use all your (faith) muscles to dig them out.  It requires work, it’s probably going to hurt, and the only way to ensure they don’t come back is to pull them from the root.  Other sins are WIDESPREAD.  It may be a common sin that “everyone’s doing” and you can justify it easily.  Those can be easier to “pull”, but just as necessary that they get rooted from the flowerbed. Finally, there are those SNEAKY sins.  They actually are pleasant to the eye, so one may think it’s ok to leave them there… but the truth is, they’re still sins.  They have to go. Time in the word and communication with the Master Gardener are essential to pulling all of these types of “weeds”.

Then, there’s those sins need the “mega-tiller”.  They need a serious movement from God, a changing of the heart (repentance) and a change of path.  They need to be ground up, chopped up and destroyed so they don’t return.  You have to pull out the big guns of accountability, extensive time in the TRUTH of God’s word, and powerful, constant and fervent prayer to blast away the weeds and have victory in the garden of your soul.

In order to prepare the flowerbed for a beautiful, bountiful array of flowers, the weeds have to go!  Weeds will overtake the flowers, strangle them, hide them, and steal the nutrients that they need.  You can’t have a flourishing garden and keep the weeds. The garden first needs to be cleared of the junk to be open and ready for the luscious growth.

WEEDS: Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar.  Galatians 5: 19-21

PULL THEM OUT… TO MAKE ROOM FOR –

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25

SO WE CAN BE FRUITFUL FOR HIS GLORY!

Let’s pull out those sins from the roots, bag ‘em up and leave ‘em behind so we can live in the fertilized soil of His goodness.  You can’t have weeds AND fruit/flowers.  One of them has to go… I say WEEDS!

Happy EASTER!

The tomb is empty.  Jesus defeated death.  He is RISEN.  He is ALIVE!!!

I pray this day that each person reading this knows Jesus personally as Lord and Savior, Redeemer, Friend.  I wrote a post a few years ago that may help you if you’re not sure.  Jesus REALLY loves you and all that is represented in this weekend (Jesus’ death, burial and RESURRECTION) was for YOU! Give Him your life today!

That Saturday

The disciples were in shock. What just happened?? I-I-I thought He was Jesus. I thought He was the Messiah. Imagine their grief, their doubt, their confusion. That Saturday was probably one of the longest days of their lives. They were living in Saturday, but they didn’t know what the next day would bring. They didn’t know THE REST OF THE STORY. Even though Jesus told them the rest of the story, it didn’t sink in. It didn’t make sense.

We spend a lot of time stuck in Saturday. We experience trials, grief, doubt, challenges, hurts, confusion. Saturdays seem to take so long, because we don’t know the REST OF THE STORY. But, just like the disciples, Jesus has given us the rest of the story. We have a hope in Him. Saturdays require faith. Saturdays require great faith, waiting on what you cannot see, trusting in a faithful God.

Micah 7:7 “I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”
*We have a God who hears and doesn’t leave us.

Col. 3:24 “You will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord.”
*Sometimes we won’t see the reward until we get to heaven. Still trust Him.

Heb. 6:19 “We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure.”
*Jesus is our anchor.

Deuteronomy 31:8 “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
*He goes before us.

Romans 8:25-28 “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.
In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.
*We can hope by faith in what we cannot see.
*We are not alone, the Spirit is within us.
*He will work things out.

Today is Saturday, between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. If you’re living in a Saturday, have HOPE in the One who hears, cares and knows what tomorrow brings.